Kolkata: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday entered the Trinamool Congress (TMC) headquarters-cum-residence of party chief Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata’s Kalighat area as part of its investigation into the alleged forgery of signatures of party MLAs, a controversy that has triggered an unprecedented split within the ruling party.
According to sources, CID officials, accompanied by personnel from Kalighat Police Station and a large contingent of women police officers, reached the TMC’s central office at 30B Harish Chatterjee Street in the afternoon. The visit came days after the agency issued notices seeking information regarding signatures allegedly forged on a proposal submitted to the Assembly Speaker concerning the post of Leader of Opposition.
Investigators said the search was based on a response submitted by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee to an earlier CID notice. According to officials, Abhishek informed the agency that the signatures of MLAs had been collected at the party’s central office, prompting investigators to visit the premises.
The CID’s arrival initially led to a brief standoff with security personnel stationed at the complex. TMC leader and former MP Subhasish Chakraborty told reporters that the party would not allow a search in the absence of Abhishek Banerjee, who is currently in New Delhi along with Mamata Banerjee.
However, the situation changed after the CID was joined by additional police personnel. Following what officials described as mild resistance, the investigating team entered the premises and began its search and verification process. Senior officers from Kalighat Police Station were also seen engaging with security personnel and directing them not to obstruct the investigation.
In a parallel development, another CID team visited Abhishek Banerjee’s office on Camac Street as part of the same investigation. The TMC leader has been summoned by the agency to appear before it in connection with the case.
The controversy centres on allegations that signatures of several TMC legislators were forged on a proposal submitted to the Assembly Speaker seeking recognition of senior MLA Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of Opposition. The allegations led to the registration of an FIR and the launch of a CID probe.
The dispute has evolved into the most serious internal crisis in the TMC’s history. Tensions escalated after a section of legislators opposed the party leadership’s choice for the Leader of Opposition post. The situation worsened when 58 of the party’s 80 MLAs reportedly backed expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee instead of the official nominee.
The rebel camp subsequently took control of the legislature party, elected Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of Opposition and secured recognition from the Assembly Speaker, leading to the first major split in the TMC since the party was founded in 1998.
The CID’s simultaneous visits to the Kalighat headquarters and Abhishek Banerjee’s office are being viewed as a significant escalation in the investigation into the alleged forgery case, which remains at the centre of the ongoing political turmoil within West Bengal’s ruling party.
